[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 16




NEPAL/SRI LANKA:

Nepal requests Sri Lanka to reconsider death penalty


Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is presently in Goa in course of 
attending the BRICS- BIMSTEC Outreach Summit, today called on Sri Lankan 
President Maithiripala Sirisena.

On the occasion, matters relating to operating direct flights between the two 
countries and hosting the stalled 19th SAARC (South Asian Association for 
Regional Cooperation ) Summit were discussed at the meeting held at local Leela 
Hotel.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Dahal said though Nepal and Sri Lanka are 
somehow far in terms of geographical location, both countries need to play role 
in the overall development of the South Asia and in the maintenance of cordial 
relations among the SAARC countries.

Emphasizing on the need of holding the Summit of the regional body as soon as 
possible, he said the member countries should have common views regarding this.

The Prime Minister, on the occasion, also requested the Sri Lankan President to 
reconsider the capital punishment handed by Sri Lanka to a Nepali citizen Chet 
Bahadur Thapa ( Lalitpur) on a case of drugs smuggling and make effective 
measures to control trafficking of Nepali women to the gulf countries via Sri 
Lanka.

Stating that Sri Lanka shares friendly relations with Nepal, the Sri Lankan 
President underscored the need of making collective efforts to organised the 
SAARC Summit. He said Sri Lanka was positive towards the concerns put forth by 
Nepal.

(source: my republica.com)






TURKEY:

Erdogan restates he would approve capital punishment


Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday reiterated his support for a 
restoration of the death penalty in Turkey "if the Parliament passed."

Speaking to several hundred people chanting "death penalty" in the northern 
Black Sea city of Trabzon, Erdogan pointed to Turkish soldiers killed in the 
fight against the Kurdistan Workers??? Party (PKK) to justify his stance.

"I would approve that [death penalty] because we cannot forgive the murderers 
of my Mehmed martyred in Gabar mountains, we cannot forgive the murderers of my 
Mehmed martyred in Tendurek," said Erdogan referring to soldiers with a common 
Turkish male name affectionately used for troops.

The PKK and Turkish Army have been locked in a renewed warfare in the Kurdish 
mountainous heartland including Gabar Mountain in Sirnak Province neighboring 
the Kurdistan Region and Tendurek Mountain in the East near the Iranian border.

Discussions in public and political spheres of Turkey over capital punishment 
began immediately after the failed July 15 military coup attempt when Erdogan 
gave a series of speeches to his supporters in Istanbul.

Erdogan also slammed Western countries for opposing such a move, stating they 
had to respect the Turkish Parliament's decision should it pass a law backing 
the death penalty.

In July, both the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and 
European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini 
warned Turkey it could not join the EU if the death penalty were reinstated.

Turkey has not applied the death penalty since 1984 and removed it from the law 
in 2004 as a part of accession negotiations with the EU.

(source: kurdistan24.net)